Four years. That's one thousand four hundred and sixty one days since Breonna Taylor was murdered in her own home by the very people who had ostensibly swore to protect her. Louisville Metro Police Department gunned her down on March 13, 2020 and we've been fighting and waiting for justice ever since.
Had a gathering down at City Hall this morning, Injustice Square folks along with people from some of the groups and coalitions involved in the fight for justice and change. Got together to remember Breonna and hear about what's happened since 2020 and where things go from here.
Bianca Austin, Breonna's aunt was there and spoke. Listening to her say "We basically lost the glue to the family" and then listening to other speakers detail LMPD's efforts to avoid any and all meaningful change was both heartbreaking and infuriating.
Seeing the same faces in the same places where so much happened in 2020 was a bit surreal and discombobulating. It's been hard to shake the feeling that things could revert to the way it was on the worst days of 2020 in the blink of an eye. Walking through the square, seeing everybody again, hearing about how little had changed just amplified that and left you with a raging case of deja vu.
The fight goes on. There's currently two people from Injustice Square on Metro Council so it's not like nothing has changed but it's pace has been slower than any of us had hoped or expected. Glacial really. Even so, there's really nothing else to do but keep going. Until next time, SAY HER NAME!!!
4 years is way too long
For real. The Department of Justice report came out a year ago, but they just started negotiating the consent decree (which will govern how LMPD can operate) last month and are keeping the negotiations secret. The new mayor is slightly less brazen in his stonewalling than the last one but it still feels like they're just trying to run out the clock.
The rusty cogs of the machine
Exhausting. Frustrating. Surreal. Yes.
Keep on keeping on
Just wish there was a way to take WD-40 or a blowtorch to the machine.
Oh :(
Change takes such a very long time! But it does happen. Mostly because folks like you keep it up even when nobody wants to deal with it.
It does happen though. Honestly. I'm old enough to have witnessed it now. But fuck is it a slow process
Strength, my friend!
Just want to speed things up a bit :) Also, with this being the internet, I wasn't entirely certain how you meant that first reply.
Soooo much time. I'm a bit of a history buff, so I'm somewhat familiar with the time scale but I'm also impatient.
Thank you!
Well... it's hard to not be impatient about this kind of stuff. Honestly!
You'd think we humans would have figured this part out by now. I still have faith that's it's not in our nature to be assholes... but the jury is still out on this one.
Some humans are programmed to care less and it is what it is. It's when the majority walks like this in the world that we find ourselves in hot water. As we are now. I hope we can stop and change direction.
Regardless... you can't not try to change things, in my experience. You'll end up depressed or addicted or both.
So thank you!!! For your service. Yous are important now. More than ever. So stay you too! However that comes and goes each moment :D
I feel like I bang my head against this on the regular. I hope we change direction too but inertia is a motherfucker. Still it's either try and change things or apathy and despair. I've already tried addiction and depression, do not recommend, but those experiences are part of what motivates me, keeps me going, as you said, you can't not try.
Thank you :) I'll do my best!
:)
Hello!
I've also moved into more "truthful" pursuits because actively resisting the stuff that harms us keeps us sober, sane and mentally healthy :)
Have links and can share if you want them. I've been in recovery for many years now. Honesty is the foundation! :D
Radical honesty, really. And the more we avoid our situation, and hence, ourselves, the more "sick" we become.
It's not rocket science, as it turns out. A dear friend actually just sent me another link this morning from a Pyychiatrist at Stanford who's punting same perspective and said he found it and thought of me :D I get cancelled a LOT btw! 😆
But I no longer mind. Because I am honetly at peace for the first time ever. No need to use shit to avoid things then, right?
I no longer need meds, haven't done support groups and no therapist for years now. There is also no desire to use anything anymore at all. Even when life happens. Not "working it". Just don't want to anymore.
It was stepping up against the shit that was abusive in my external environment that got me here today. So... you keep on being you.
That is the honest way "out" apparently. From the doctors now!
Also... getting a video like that from a person who said it made them think of me?
That is one of the nicest compliments I have ever received!
That's priceless. More valuable than being "liked" because I'm being a "good" girl and playing along with the status quo. Which... as you clearly are observing... is often pretty off the mark right now.
If you're into equality and justice and truth and all that good stuff.
Only the most devoted brain-dead boot-licker could possibly imagine the cops had any excuse whatsoever for murdering a woman in her own home. But the police are just the enforcement arm of a big gang with a veneer of legitimacy.
Unfortunately there's still quite a few of those around. 2020 really peeled the veneer back here (we made the same point in Injustice Square many times that year) but it wasn't much to begin with.
Any story like this happens and we see that people are also protesting but they do not get the justice they have and they continue to protest in the same way, so governments should give such people Justice must be given.
"Justice must be given."
So true, it must. For some reason one constant seems to be that governments are loathe to do so.
Yeah you are right.
The good thing is that people still remember events like this and celebrate them
Nice pictures!
Yeah, it's just a tragedy that we have to in the first place.
Thank you!
These events are memorial and it is great that they are continually remembered in the heart of men
It's just sad and infuriating that we have to in the first place.
Congratulations. Today's #monomad first place is yours.
Thank You very much for participating and for being part of the Black And White Community!
Woot, thanks so much!
Thank you!